


Corrupted

by darklingbooks



Category: The Grisha Trilogy - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: F/M, dont kill me, i promise she isnt romantic with vasily, its for the plot, this takes place almost 2 years before shadow and bone
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-16
Updated: 2019-03-10
Packaged: 2019-10-29 17:36:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17812436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darklingbooks/pseuds/darklingbooks
Summary: Alina was supposed to join the army in a little over a years time. She was supposed to remain normal and invisible like she'd always been. However, Alina is starting to realize things never go the way you want them to.A story in which Alina's powers are discovered 2 years earlier, and how she deals with being ripped from her former life and being thrown into one of riches and luxury.





	1. Prologue

This was the first and last time she’d been allowed to join the boys.

 

Too many times had Alina been left behind as her best friend and the other boys got to leave on hunting trips. They were to be conscripted into the war next year, her time with her best friend was limited, she didn’t want to be left behind again.

 

She wasn’t sure what had changed Ana Kuya’s mind - the stern woman was often too uptight - but the saints must have been on Alina’s side for once. 

 

Alina wasn’t particularly strong. Or fast. Or really. . .good at most things. It was always Mal who stood out to others. So when Ana Kuya gave her blessing that Alina could join Mal and his hunting group she’d never been more ecstatic. 

 

“Are you sure you want to come?” 

 

She’d been packing her things into a small pack, they were only meant to be gone for a day or two at most, and glanced up to see Mal leaning in the doorway. Her dull brown eyes met his own icy ones. 

 

She couldn’t deny that he’d changed a lot over the years. When they had first become friends he was short, pudgy, and hated bathing. Now, he was much taller, more muscular, and took care of his appearance almost too well. She had only just begun admitting to herself that she found him  _ handsome _ now. Pushing the thoughts away she instead offered him a small smile.

 

“Of course I want to come, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

 

Mal grinned at this and pushed himself off the door frame before moving closer to Alina. “You know you’re going to have to be quiet and just let the boys do their thing, right?”

 

Alina rolled her eyes. Of course she knew that. Of course she also hated it. But she couldn’t complain. Just being allowed to go with them this time was more freedom than she’d ever been allowed during her many years at Keramzin.

 

“Yes Mal, I’ll behave since I know that’s secretly what you’re telling me to do.” She was mildly annoyed, but instead made sure a smile crossed her face.

 

“Good, because they’re waiting downstairs - lets go.” Mal picked up her pack and closed it swiftly before exiting the giant hall of a room where all the girls stayed. With no other choice but to follow, Alina threw on a thin jacket and left the room after him.

 

Waiting in the dusty foyer was Ana Kuya, Mal, and the three other boys who would be joining in the hunt. They were to be searching for a herd of deer that had been spotted passing through the woods nearby - but they wouldn’t turn down any other easy game they may come across. 

“I’m still not sure I should be allowing you to go.” Ana Kuya sniffed, her thin arms crossed over her chest. 

 

“Who else is going to keep them in line?” Alina said with a humorous glance towards Mal and his friends. 

 

A sour expression crossed Ana Kuya’s face but she said nothing more. All she did was wave at the small group to leave. 

 

With a cheeky grin at Alina, Mal took the lead and pushed open the front door, exiting the house quickly before Ana Kuya could change her mind.

 

This was Alina’s first taste of freedom and she didn’t intend on messing it up.

 

* * *

 

 

She was already on the verge of messing up.

 

No matter how hard she tried, it was difficult for her to keep up with the four boys who were much taller and more fit than her. Even more difficult was making sure she kept silent.

 

Talking wasn’t the issue, moving was.

 

While Mal moved as silently as if he were swimming through water, Alina seemed to move like a bear with its head stuck in a beehive. Even the other boys, who were less skilled than Mal, were able to move much more quietly than Alina. 

 

“Alina,” Mal was suddenly beside her. She hadn’t noticed, she’d been so out of breath that she couldn’t focus on more than her feet continuously carrying her forward. She looked up, not daring to speak and show off just how breathless she truly was. “Do you need a break?”

 

_ Yes _ . “No, I’m doing great.” She forced out instead. 

 

“You’re a terrible liar,” Mal cupped his hands and let out a short bird whistle. The other boys, who had gotten much farther ahead than Alina realized, turned around and marched back like hounds returning to their hunter.

 

“Let’s break for about ten minutes. Based on the trails we’ve seen, we’re still several hours out of that herd.” Mal instructed, slinging his pack off of his shoulders and kneeling on the floor.

 

Seeing Mal sit, was all it took for Alina to collapse. Taking off her pack to get a sip of water from the container she’d brought with her. She glanced at her companions and noticed two of them whispering to each other while continuously glancing at her. 

“Do you have something to say?” She snapped, forgetting her promise to Mal to behave. 

 

Both of the boys eyes widened but they didn’t speak, instead turning around to face their backs towards her. Alina just rolled her eyes and placed her water skin back into her pack. 

 

“You ready to go?” Mal seemed surprised. Alina had been the first one to stand again and he quickly scrambled to follow. With a sharp whistle the three other boys jumped to their feet as well. With a short look at Alina, Mal took the lead once more.

 

He’d always been the best tracker of the group, unfortunately for Mal he was too focused on tracking the deer to see what came next.

  
  


* * *

 

  
  


“Alina get out of there!” 

 

His scream ripped through the air but Alina couldn’t force herself to move, instead she stood motionless as a giant brown bear approached. Everything within her was frozen, and she was sure her heart would stop beating soon. 

 

“Why is she sitting there like a toad on a log?”

 

“Get her out of there Oretsev!”

 

The other boys screams were dull in her ears. Her eyes focused on the lumbering bear as it was now only four feet away from her. 

 

Suddenly there was a  _ thunk _ and the bear reared back in anger. Sticking out of its shoulder blade was a thin silver arrow. 

 

Alina finally snapped back into focus as the bear turned on Mal now. She was ready to jump towards Mal when thick hands grabbed her waist. “Get off of me!” 

 

She turned to see one of the other boys - the quiet one who hadn’t been whispering about her - holding her back. He seemed apologetic. “We can’t risk losing two of us.”

 

“That’s my best friend! Let me go!” Alina struggled against the much larger boy, and she was making no progress. Meanwhile the bear had advanced more on Mal and was only a few feet away. “I’m really sorry about this.” 

 

Alina reared her foot back and kicked the boy in the place boys never want to be kicked. As soon as his grip loosened she was darting across the clearing. She could hear the other boys shouts, but over all of it she could only hear Mal.

 

“Get back to safety!” Mal tried to push her, but she managed to stand her ground.

 

“I’m not leaving you.”

 

Suddenly there was a deep growl and Alina turned to see the bear on its hind legs, ready to drop on top of them. She felt one of its claws sink into her shoulder.

 

And then everything went white.


	2. The Tailor

Sleeping had suddenly become the most elusive thing. 

 

It had only been three days since I had turned the world white, and it had only taken a few hours after that for me to be ripped from everything and everyone I’d ever known. Fortunately, I had saved Mal and the others. 

 

Unfortunately, a royal hunting party was nearby and as soon as they saw everything turn white they investigated. 

 

I closed my eyes and slid further into my seat in the carriage. We’d been travelling for almost three days now, I never realized just how far the capital of Os Alta was from my small orphange. 

 

“Do you want to eat anything?” One of the soldiers riding in the carriage asked me quietly. I let my eyes flicker open before landing on the boy - he was probably only about three years older than me. 

 

“No.”

 

He seemed shocked, but he quickly wiped the expression off of his face before leaning forward, a now pleading look entered his eyes. “You haven’t eaten or drank anything yet, the King will be upset if we bring him an actual Sun Summoner and she’s on the brink of death.” 

 

There was that term again.  _ Sun Summoner _ . 

 

“Let him be upset,” I shot back, although I couldn’t deny how weak I was feeling from lack of nutrition. “Besides, if I really am this  _ Sun Summoner _ , that means I’m Grisha. The King doesn’t deal with the Grisha.” 

 

The boy let out an irritated sigh. “No, he doesn’t deal with the Grisha,” He finally conceded, leaning back in his seat. “But he will most certainly want to meet you, I can’t bring him a half starved girl.” 

 

I bit back any sharp retort I had and instead gazed out of the carriage’s small window. I watched as what seemed like endless amount of trees based by as we traveled on the Vy. The royal hunting party had started a brutal pace from the start. Who knows who else could have seen my powers? The thought of assassin’s was too much for me to consider in that moment so I went back to closing my eyes.

 

“We arrive at Os Alta tomorrow, I do hope you change your mind about eating by then.” The soldier knocked on the top of the carriage and it halted momentarily for him to jump out.

I wouldn’t want to be alone with me either.

 

* * *

 

 

It was the next morning. I had finally conceded to eating a roll of bread, and only because I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to walk when we finally arrived. The guard that had bothered me yesterday had a smug look upon his face and it took all my restraint to not find a way to summon the light and attack him. 

 

As the carriage finally rolled into Os Alta my mind drifted to Mal. 

 

As soon as my power had vanished, all that was left of the bear was a pile of ashes, and a bright red wound in my shoulder. 

 

“What the hell did you just do?” 

 

I’d never seen Mal look so terrified of me.  _ Me _ . The scrawny girl who often got called Sticks by the other orphans. The girl who could hardly keep up walking through the woods.  _ Me. _

 

After that, anything I could remember was blurry. The five of us had sat in complete silence, no one daring to come close to me. That was when the soldiers and royal guard arrived. Without so much as questioning me or the others, I was suddenly being taken away.

 

I could still hear Mal screaming as he was punched in the face trying to get me away from them. 

 

Focusing back on the present, I couldn’t suppress the wonder I felt as we crossed the bridge into the richer side of Os Alta. 

 

It was midday. All of the shops were open and there were hundreds of people milling about. Thankfully, none of them spared a look at the carriage as we rolled by. Clearly news of my assassination of the bear hadn’t yet reached the capital. Every so often I caught sight of a brightly colored  _ kefta _ . 

 

My heart began to race. This wasn’t just some convoluted dream anymore. This was real. I had a  _ power _ . One that hadn’t been seen in hundreds of years. I swallowed hard.

 

The carriage finally pulled out of the rich upper town and rolled through massive gates. Stationed along the wall every so often were several guards - even a few Grisha in the bright red  _ kefta _ that signified they were Corporalnik’s. All of their eyes were on the carriage.

 

This was real. This was happening.

 

The carriage finally rolled to a stop. As soon as all movement had ceased the door was thrown open and the annoying guard from before was waving me out. 

 

I shakily got to my feet, squinting my eyes in the bright sunlight as I stepped out of the carriage. Looking at the others stationed around the carriage I immediately felt underdressed. 

 

Without me realizing it, several Grisha had appeared. The dark blue robes of the Etherealki, the rich purple of the Materialki, and most terrifyingly, the deep red of the Corporalki. The order of the living and the dead.

 

Each Grisha was gorgeous, and even the few in the group who were clearly younger than me, carried themselves in such a way that I found myself becoming jealous of. It was only a few heartbeats later that my eyes landed on the one dark spot in the crowd.

 

_ The Darkling _ .

 

His pale grey eyes were locked onto me, an almost thoughtful expression resting on his face. I had to dig my nails into the palm of my hand to stop myself from speaking since I wasn’t sure what would come out. 

 

He seemed to have been carved from marble. He was all sharp edges and absolutely gorgeous. A tangle of dark black hair hung slightly in his face and suddenly he was only a few feet away from me.

 

“What’s your name?” 

 

I swallowed hard. Should I give my real name? Looking up to meet the stare of the Darkling is when my resolve came through. I couldn’t lie. He would know, and any chance I had at surviving in Os Alta would be gone.

 

“Alina Starkov.”

 

The barest trace of a smile ghosted across his face before he motioned me forward. “Well Alina Starkov, welcome to Os Alta.”

 

* * *

 

 

I’d been sitting in a room by myself for about two hours now. The Darkling had been sure to keep me from the Grand Palace and instead took me to a place known simply as the Little Palace.

 

_ Little Palace my ass _ .

 

Sure, it was much smaller than the place where the King and his family lived, but it was still massive. I barely had a chance to look at the intricate carvings of every kind of animal and flower that graced the walls and domed ceiling before being dragged up far too many sets of stairs and being told to wait for someone named Genya. 

 

I had taken to impatiently walking back and forth across the room when there was a short knock on the door. I wasn’t even able to go open it myself before a gorgeous red haired girl pushed her way in. 

 

She was wearing a cream  _ kefta _ , something I’d never seen or heard of before, and her bright amber eyes were trained directly on me. 

 

“For a sun summoner you’re not very. . .bright.” 

 

I narrowed my eyes. “Sorry we can’t all look as gorgeous as you.”

 

A smile crossed the girls face at my retort. “I was hoping you’d have some bite to you. My name is Genya.” She stuck her hand out and I gave it a short shake before pulling away. 

 

She began to move gracefully around the room, moving to the bathroom to start running hot water for a bath. 

 

“Why do you wear cream?” 

 

She paused her movement, she seemed almost stunned for a moment before she straightened up. “I’m a tailor.”

 

“What on earth is that?”

 

“When my abilities started to show, it wasn’t clear if I should follow in the steps of a Corporalki or a Materialki. The Darkling created a new role for me. I can manipulate people’s bodies to look better or worse, how do you think I get to look this good?” She winked at the end and it was hard for me to stop my laugh from escaping. 

 

“I think you’d look good even if you weren’t a tailor.” I responded.

 

“Please, you’re too kind,” Genya waved it away but I could tell my compliment had made her happy. “Come on now, you need to get washed up. You meet with the King in an hour.” 

 

I felt suddenly nervous but followed her into the bathroom nonetheless. Genya thankfully allowed me some privacy and left me to wash myself up. I took my time. I’d never been in a bathroom so extravagant, and oftentimes when I bathed at Keramzin the water was lukewarm or cold.

I finally finished, walking out of the bathroom in only a small towel. I felt totally vulnerable but thankfully the only other person in my room was Genya. I’d been wondering if anyone else would have been joining us.

 

“Good you’re clean. Unfortunately you can’t get dressed just yet, come here by the window.” She ushered me over and I felt a bit like a dog being called to its owner but I still made my way over and sat on the small stool she provided me.

 

“I’m not going to change much, just bring out your natural beauty more.” Genya opened a chest full of what seemed to be hundreds of different powders and dyes and raised her hands.

 

“Wait!” Genya paused, a questioning look in her eye. “You’re going to change how I look?”

 

Genya scoffed. “Of course not, I’m just going to enhance what’s already there. Give your hair more volume, even your skin tone, put some color in your cheeks.”

 

I was still a bit wary but I nodded for her to continue. As much as being changed gave my anxiety, I already trusted the girl. 

 

“Don’t worry, it only lasts a few days anyway.” Genya said before gently drifting her fingers across my skin. Everywhere she touched left a tingling sensation and it was hard to not recoil. It wasn’t painful, just uncomfortable.

 

“How old are you?” I found myself asking Genya. 

 

She looked at me out of the corner of her eye, but still continued her gentle assault on bringing my hair to life. “I’m seventeen, what about you?”

 

I wasn’t sure how to answer. “I think I’m fifteen, going to be sixteen soon.”

 

Genya dropped the strands of my hair she was holding in surprise. “What do you mean you think?” 

 

I didn’t really want to share my pitiful life story, but something about Genya made me want to continue. “I was an orphan, when I arrived at Keramzin - the place I lived before I was brought here - they thought I was about eight. I’ve just aged as if I were truly eight since then.” 

 

“Well no matter, some of the most powerful Grisha are the younger ones you’d never expect anyway.” And with that Genya continued her work on my hair. 

 

I couldn’t stop the smile that crossed my face at her response. Hopefully the rest of the Grisha in this place would be as non-judgemental as she was.

 

* * *

 

 

Almost forty minutes later and Genya had finally finished working on me. I couldn’t fully comprehend that the person in my reflection was actually me.

 

Her work was subtle, as I had been promised, but it still did wonders for my appearance. 

 

My brown hair was no longer stringy and dull. She’d managed to put some volume and shine back into it and it now curled gently down my back. My normally splotchy complexion had been evened to perfection and Genya had even added a bit of pink to my cheeks so that I looked healthier. 

 

“Wow, you did-”

 

“Amazing? Perfect? Absolutely astonishing?” Genya quipped with a sly smile.

 

“All of those things.” I said with a grin. Turning my head towards the door when a soft knock sounded. 

 

Genya went to answer it and I could hear the small voice of who I assumed was a maid before Genya walked back in with a mound of black cloth draped over her arm.

 

“Is that a  _ kefta _ ?” I asked, mesmerized as Genya unfurled the long fabric.

 

“It sure is, and it looks like someone already favors you.” Genya spoke in a sing song and moved towards the wardrobe to pull out a simple pair of black pants and a white button up. 

 

It was then that it fully registered for me that black was the Darkling’s color. 

 

I changed quickly, and soon only the  _ kefta _ wasn’t adorning my body. With a deep breath I shrugged it on and gasped at how absolutely luxurious the fabric felt. It had weight to it, but it wasn’t heavy. Embroidered at the cuffs was a gorgeous golden color.

 

In each order of Grisha, there were different cuff colors that indicated what you could do. For the Corporalki, black cuffs meant you were a heartrender and gray for the healers. For members of the Etherealki, pale blue signified the tidemakers, red for the inferni, and silver for the squallers. Finally, for the Materialki gray signified the durasts and red the alkemi. 

 

Looking in the mirror I felt more beautiful and powerful than I ever had before. It was exhilarating.

 

“I knew my color would look good on you.”

 

I turned sharply to see the Darkling hovering in the doorway, a ghost of a smile crossing his features. 

 

“T-thank you. It’s gorgeous.” I replied stupidly.

 

Ignoring what I said the Darkling waved me forward. “Come on, the King is an impatient man.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter one! I hope you guys like it :) Please don't be shy and leave some comments or kudos, they really inspire me to write!


	3. Powerful

I steadied my breathing before following the Darkling out of my bed chambers. Both preparing myself for the large amount of stairs I would have to take, and the fact that I was to be meeting the King of Ravka. 

 

I looked behind me to see that thankfully Genya was still following. I’d only just met the girl, but I could tell she would be a good friend to have and it helped me feel more calm with her nearby. 

 

After walking down the short hallway we finally reached the dreaded stairs. The Darkling headed down without a second thought but I hesitated. The  _ kefta _ was a few inches too long on me and the last thing I wanted was to faceplant down four flights of stairs. 

 

“Alina?” I heard the Darkling’s voice from a few steps down, and a look of confusion was plastered to his marble-esque features. 

 

“It’s my  _ kefta _ ,” I bit my lip, this was such an embarrassing thing to have to say. “It’s too long, I don’t want to trip down the stairs.” 

 

A slightly amused smile crossed the Darkling’s features and I could hear Genya stifling a laugh behind me. “We had to guess your size since we didn’t have time to get you a proper fitting. I suppose the seamstress overestimated how tall you actually are.” 

 

I felt my cheeks redden, and it was no help when Genya’s laugh finally escaped. Thankfully however she stepped forward and looped her arm through mine. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep her from tripping.”

 

“Oh how kind of you.” I said sarcastically to Genya, sticking my tongue out at her before the three of us began going down the stairs once more.

 

We had nearly reached the bottom of the last flight of stairs when the Darkling stuck his arm across the stairwell and prevented Genya and I from moving any further. 

 

“There is something you should know,” He started, and I felt a nervous sweat start at the base of my neck. “The King will be expecting you to summon for him and his court.”

 

I swallowed hard, my nerves finally kicking in full force - much different from the distant ache they previously were. “I-I don’t even know how I summoned the first time. What if it was just a mistake - a trick of the light?” 

“Alina, it was no mistake.” The Darkling reached his hand out to grasp my wrist and a sudden wave of surety encapsulated my entire body. It almost felt like my bones were vibrating with power. “Do you feel the power running through your bones?” 

 

I couldn’t even speak, all I did was stupidly nod. 

 

“That’s all you Alina. I’m a natural amplifier so I can help you call your powers forward, but ultimately they are your powers and yours alone,” He paused for a second, his eyes softening slightly. “Try calling the light.”

 

I looked at Genya who had been standing in silence for the entire time. However, once our eyes met she nodded encouragingly and I laid my hand flat, my palm facing the ceiling and concentrated on the white light that was my power. 

 

I could still feel the feeling of surety from where the Darkling’s hand lay closed around my wrist and it only took a moment for a small ball of light to start forming in my hand. I jumped back in surprise and awe. 

 

“I did it,” I breathed out.

 

“Of course you did Alina, you’re the freaking Sun Summoner!” Genya cheered, throwing her arms around me in a tight hug. The Darkling slowly retracted his hand and cleared his throat so that we could finish descending the stairs.

 

As we finally reached the bottom floor and walked into the entryway I was in awe at the sea of colorful  _ keftas _ I was greeted with. Everywhere I looked there were grisha milling about, however I was quick to note that there wasn’t much mingling between the different grisha ranks. 

 

As soon as the other grisha noticed the Darkling, everyone began to quiet. All it took was for the Darkling to wave his hand and soon the other grisha were lining up based on their order. First were the Materialki’s, then the Etherealki’s, and finally the Corporalki’s. 

 

I was about to ask Genya why they were arranged in that specific order when I noticed she had started to walk away. “Genya! Where are you going?”

 

“Don’t worry Alina, I’ll see you at the Grand Palace.” Genya said softly before breaking away and turning down a side hallway. She had left no room for me to ask her anything. 

 

I had been staring dumbly at where Genya had just been when I heard a cough and looked to see the Darkling clearly waiting for me. I felt a blush crawl up my cheeks and I silently followed him to stand at the end of the Grisha processional. 

 

It wasn’t long before all of the Grisha, the Darkling, and I were making our way towards the Grand Palace. There was a cute little path that cut through the woods - I imagined it must be especially beautiful in spring and autumn - but now it was predominantly green with hints of brown from the dry heat of summer. 

 

We had almost reached the Grand Palace when I began to hate my  _ kefta _ . No matter how gorgeous it was, the particular fabric it was made from was heavy, and the black coloring wasn’t a help in deterring the sun. I was sweating profusely by the time we made it to the doors of the Grand Palace and I suddenly felt bad that I’d ruined all of Genya’s work by not being physically fit. 

 

“The King is. . .unique. Just allow him to speak, don’t address him or his family unless they directly say something to you first and hopefully this encounter won’t need to last long.” The Darkling was speaking, his voice low as we made our way through the foyet and into a large entrance hall. 

 

I just nodded - I hadn’t particularly been planning on speaking anyway - too in awe at the extravagance of the palace to be able to muster words. Everything seemed to be coated in a layer of gold, there was even a potted tree that had a golden trunk and leaves that seemed to be made of jade. 

 

The sight of it made me sick for a moment. How dare the King and his family get to live this luxurious life, with things they clearly didn’t need, while plenty of  _ children _ were starving around the country each year.

 

I didn’t have much time to dwell on my anger before the procession suddenly stopped and the Grisha began to flank around the outer edges of the room, leaving just the Darkling and I standing in the center. 

 

I suddenly felt very vulnerable and uncomfortable. Not only was I about to meet the king, but there were dozens of other Grisha and palace guards and royal guests spread throughout the room. The Darkling had seemed confident I could call my powers forward once again, and even though I’d been able to in the stairwell, the idea of failing in front of so many people set my nerves on edge.

 

It happened very quickly, but suddenly all the quiet chatter in the room ceased and the King and his family entered the hall. They moved rather slowly, but every step each member of the royal family took was powerful and purposeful. Maybe I had some type of unearthly power, but this family still left me feeling intimidated. 

 

The King took his seat in a large throne set onto a dias. The queen was sat on his left, and his two sons stood on his right. I found myself soon studying each member of the royal family. 

 

The King was. . .unremarkable. He was rather round with watery blue eyes and a chin that blended into his neck. He was adorned in the uniform of a high ranking army general even though it looked like he’d never served a day in his life. I was quick to look away from him, everything about him seemed to be just for show and it made me angry.

 

My eyes drifted over to his wife. Where the King was all rounded and soft, his wife was more thin and angular. She had bright blonde hair and blue eyes, but something about them seemed unnatural. I was also uncomfortable with the way she kept peering at me as if I was one of her sons science experiments. 

 

That’s when I focused onto the two Princes. The older one seemed to be about nineteen or twenty, while the younger one seemed to be Genya’s age. Both boys had blonde hair, but the older son had greasier and what already looked to be thinning hair. In fact, the older one looked almost exactly like this father, just less robust. The younger son one the other hand took more after his mother. He had copper colored hair and bright hazel eyes, and I couldn’t deny how attractive I thought he actually was. 

 

That was when his eyes met mine and I looked away quickly to hide the blush that I could tell would be forming any moment now. In my observance of the royal family, I had completely missed the introductions and focused back in time to hear the end of the King’s greeting.

 

“. . .and now I think it would be a wonderful time to show the court just exactly what you can do young lady.” Even his voice bothered me, but I put a small smile on my face and turned to the Darkling. 

 

His hand was already extended towards me and with a deep breath I gently placed my hand into his. Instantly that feeling of surety and power flowed through me once again and just as I felt ready to let the light explode from me, I saw the Darkling gently shake his head no. 

 

He retracted his hand for only a second so he could clap his hands together. With only that simple action, darkness began to travel in skeins from his pale hands and soon the whole room was completely blacked out. I felt suffocated. 

 

The Darkling’s hand soon found mine in the darkness, and he felt much closer than before. “Let the power flow through you, all you need to do is make the darkness go away.” 

 

I nodded even though he couldn’t see me and raised the hand he wasn’t holding up. With a deep breath I concentrated as hard as I could and soon the smallest ball of light formed.

 

It was tiny to start, just barely illuminating my fingers, but the harder I concentrated and the more I pushed, the larger it slowly became. With a final push of my powers, I watched as the light expanded and soon there was not a single shred of darkness left. 

 

As my power began to fade from the room, and the brightness calmed down, everything was silent. I looked nervously to the royal family who all seemed stunned at what they had seen. 

 

All it took was for the King to start clapping for the room to explode in sound.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking a bit to post, I've been quite busy with school lately but I'm on spring break right now so hopefully I can get another chapter done during this time but don't hold me to it lol. Anyway I hope you all enjoyed this and please leave kudos/comments and let me know what you thought and hope to see!


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